Paralegal
Universal Music Group
Los Angeles, CAThis was removed by the employer on 4/20/2015 10:21:00 AM PST
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Full Time Job
JOB DESCRIPTION:
There is a new business process at UMG where all deal operating parameters, rights and royalty provisions are authoritatively established up-front and in a single system of record that is designed to flow these parameters to downstream commercial teams that need to know what we can and cannot do with our content. There are significant expected benefits in both servicing revenue opportunities as well as improving downstream efficiencies in many areas. The right candidate will be someone who wants to be an integral part of the department and is passionate about this supporting Paralegal role as a career.
Job Functions
Codification of deal operating parameters
• Working with A&R Admin/ Production Coordinator/Label Attorneys to ensure he/she is aware of all deals that may impact what we can do with our repertoire and how we need to pay out against our repertoire (e.g. artist deals, side artist, sample, producer deals, (re)mixer deals, label/profit split, photographer, designer, video production)
• Ensuring that any deals identified in point 1 are fully codified in as soon as possible so that they are available for linking to the repertoire in Studio Hub and so that these deals may be sent to UMG's Global Rights System (GRS)
• Fully codifying all deals in Rights Hub as soon as the deal operating parameters have been agreed, even though the deal may not necessarily be fully executed
• Liaising with the relevant Label Attorneys re any deal interpretation question and required operating policy overrides so that these can be communicated to the commercial teams via Rights Hub/Studio Hub and any other relevant downstream systems.
• Working with Royalties BA to ensure that the Royalties provisions are codified in a timely manner
• Managing the communication between Royalties BA and the Label Attorneys to clarify royalty provisions, on an as needed basis.
• Facilitating the approval of all rights and royalties codification by the relevant Label BA within Rights Hub
• Uploading pdfs of the deals into Rights Hub, including the document description.
Linking of content to the deal operating parameters
• Reviewing A&R admin deal linking and working with the relevant label attorney to ensure Studio Hub Projects are linked to the correct Contract and Recording Commitment
• Linking ancillary agreements to the applicable Producers, Mixers, Side Artists, and Samples in Studio Hub in a timely manner
GRS
• Sending codified deals from Rights Hub to GRS once they are fully executed (or earlier if the label intends to immediately release product)
• Liaising with Central BA regarding any discrepancies caused by the transformation logic
or legal interpretation disputes
• Confirming relevant provisions with the lawyer who negotiated the agreement during any interpretation disputes
Ongoing Maintenance
• Contacting A&R Admin and Production to warn them of any ‘rush' deals that will be immediately scheduled for release once the agreement is signed.
• Maintaining the Contract Negotiation Status and Deal Entry Status in Rights Hub for the all deals as this impacts what aspects of the deal are made transparent downstream
• Maintaining the Key Dates tab in the artist agreements by updating the name of the Recording Commitment delivered, indicating the current Contract Period, and updating the deal if an artist is dropped
• Keeping Rights Hub deals current by reflecting contractual amendments and deal overrides in a timely fashion
• Working with Label Business Affairs and Strategic Operations to suggest changes and improvements to the Rights Hub template/process e.g. due to omissions; evolving rights acquisitions or rights restrictions, changes to the One True Form, data entry flows
• Performing user acceptance training of any delivered changes to Rights Hub to ensure that they work as anticipated
• Managing the Deal Operating Overlays for the label where applicable
• Ensuring compliance at the label re timely and accurate rights management process
• Ensuring all ancillary deals codified in Rights Hub are also sent to the BA Archives resource at the label for upload into Content Manager
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Job Requirements
Skills
/Abilities
• Outgoing personality. This is not solely a 'data-entry' position. It is managing the communication of our rights so the person needs to be able to liaise with multiple departments
• Willingness to aggressively chase down agreements (directly from BA, A&R Admin, Clearance BA)
• Ability to quickly integrate with the BA department to ensure that they are ‘in the know' with regard to upcoming signings, ‘rush' scenarios, etc.
• Ambition to work toward continual process improvement (faster codification time, etc.)
• Willingness to chase Business Affairs attorneys to resolve issues quickly and obtain BA sign off for the deals captured
• Interest in debates/conversations regarding legal interpretation
• Comfortable doing a rights management role rather than ambitions to use it to move into a deal negotiation role immediately
• Task oriented
• Ability to stay on top of multiple initiatives at one time
• Ability to work quickly and accurately under pressure
Experience
• Music Industry legal experience
• Familiarity with recording agreements
• Familiarity with business process workflows (i.e. following a pre-defined business process, understanding how one's role helps to achieve the overall objective)
Education:
• Paralegal Certificate and/or equivalent experience.